Michael Thimmesch

ST. PAUL (May, 2015) – Skyline Exhibits has announced the retirement of Michael Thimmesch, its Director of Customer Engagement. Thimmesch has played an integral role in the growth of the company and has earned the respect of the industry. He is highly respected in the areas of customer engagement and social media and is seen as a leader in exhibitor education.

Thimmesch began his Skyline career in 1988 as a copywriter eight years after Skyline was founded. Over time, his role evolved and expanded. In 2005, after 17 years with Skyline, he earned a director-level position.

During his tenure Thimmesch had a hand in generating over half a million leads for Skyline which resulted in over $1 billion in retail sales and helped Skyline to grow into the largest exhibit company in North America.

Thimmesch is also credited with publishing 11 industry white papers and eight exhibit education books. He has presented over 100 informational webinar sessions, which were attended by over 23,000 exhibitors. He has also written over 200 blog posts on a variety of exhibiting topics.

“Mike’s contributions to Skyline and to the trade show industry itself cannot be overstated. Whether it was his creation of multiple trade show seminars or the rich content in his blogs and webinars, Mike has left his mark on our company and the trade show industry,” stated Bill Dierberger, president of Skyline Exhibits. “He has been a pioneer in perfecting face-to-face marketing.”

Taking over for Thimmesch is Sofia Troutman who has been named Manager of Customer Engagement & Industry Relations. Troutman has been with Skyline for six years most currently as Product Marketing Segment Manager. She earned her MBA at University of Arizona, Eller College of Management and started her Marketing Career at Pillsbury/General Mills before joining Skyline in 2009.

Future plans, according to Thimmesch, include spending time with his family, plenty of travel and advocating causes that are near to him. “We are truly grateful for Mike’s many contributions to the company and the trade show business as a whole. Our company and our industry are better and healthier because of Mike’s work,” concluded Dierberger.